Mason’s Brewing Company build out “progressing smoothly”

It has been four months since Masons Brewing Company broke ground on the waterfront in Brewer and I hadn’t been to the site yet, so I got in touch with Chris Morley, owner of Masons and set up a tour of the progress.

Masons Brewing Company looking up from the Penobscot River

The brewery is at the end of Hardy Street, just off of South Main Street in Brewer. The building is a foundry style metal structure with a clearstory at the peak, barn red in color with cream trim. The back of the building has 6 large windows that look out over the Penobscot River and directly across the water is Bangor’s Waterfront Park and the Waterfront Concerts stage. There are two sets of doors that will open onto the deck that hasn’t been built yet but will extend from the building to the edge of the Brewer Riverwalk which starts or ends right there at the brewery depending on which direction you are walking. It’s a great location with vehicle and walk up access that will be a prime spot for beers on the deck in the summer.

Looking out the back door across the river at the Waterfront Concerts Stage.

Inside is where the majority of the work is now happening, the main entrance is near the corner closest to Hardy Street, you will enter into a vestibule then the lobby, if you look to the right there will be a window that looks down the center of the brewhouse. Straight ahead will be restrooms and around the corner to the right, the main dining area/bar, the kitchen is located in the far corner at the end of the dining area.

Currently the brewhouse is laying on the floor in the middle of the brewery still wrapped up in bubble wrap from shipping, but it’s all there except for the main control panel that will arrive after the system is setup so that it doesn’t get damaged. A wall is being built that starts at the main entrance and wraps around to become the bar back and separate the brewery from the dining area. Once the wall is up the tanks will be set into place and plumbing will begin. The far end of the brewery will be where the walk in cooler goes.

view of the brewery from future kitchen

The kitchen hasn’t been started, it will be a compact space but follows the plan Chris has had all along to serve a small menu of upscale pub fare that compliments the beer. The bar is currently being assembled in New York State, it’s around 40 feet long and photos can be seen on the Mason’s Brewing Company Facebook page.

Mason’s Brewing Company vehicle

Chris tells me that the project is progressing smoothly and he expects the internal framing to go quickly, brewing equipment will be moved into place sometime this week. He admits they are probably a week or two behind his initial schedule but barring any major setbacks they plan to have beer ready by the middle of April with an operational kitchen following closely behind that.